In the packaging industry, particularly with the production and filling of bottles, said bottles must be transferred from a first processing device to a second processing device at high speeds. For this purpose, transfer systems such as, for example, so called infeed and discharge starwheels with gripper heads are used, as shown in WO 2008/129347. The gripper heads grip the empty or already filled bottles at the neck below the upper opening, in fact preferably below the neck region where the bottles are provided with an enlargement. Generally, this is also known as ‘neck handling’.
EP 0 939 044 B1 shows a bottle gripper with two grab arms, with contact faces for a control cam. Each contact face is part of an elastic pad fastened to the grab arm. The pad consists of an elastomeric material, and the contact face is of a low-wear material. The elastic pad is formed by a leaf spring bent about the grab arm, and held positively and in a removable manner in a holder in the grab arm. The grab arms are pivoted tongue-like about one or two pivot points, forming a grab section and an operating section.
DE 101 40 315 A1 shows a gripper for transporting plastic bottles. The gripper has two arms mounted on vertical pivots. The gripping surfaces contact the neck of the bottle at three or more points which lie in the same plane.
EP 0 854 102 B1 shows a container gripper, in particular for bottles, which is positionable on a movable part of a manipulating machine, and comprises a support structure internally carrying a pair of arms driven to rotate between a closed rest position in which they face each other to retain the container, and an open position in which they are withdrawn from each other to release the container; in this gripper the support structure comprises a U-shaped bracket supporting a limit stop.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,261,199 B1 shows a conveyor with grippers, which also grips the containers at the neck. The grippers are arranged at connected links and are positioned movable relative to their respective links for gripping a container by the neck of the container.